If you want to get the best performance out of your studio monitors, in this video I'll help you
find the correct placement for your speakers, how to connect the speakers to your audio interface,
and the best settings on your interface and your studio monitors. But if you're new to
this channel, my name is Kyle. Learn audio production at AudioUniversityOnline.com.
When it comes to the placement of studio monitors, there are a few things that have
a huge effect on sound quality. If you get these things right, it'll go a long way.
The first is spacing. We want the location of each speaker in the location of your listening
position to be equally distant, forming an equilateral triangle.
Sit in your chair normally, exactly as you'll be when you're listening.
You want the point of the equilateral triangle to be just behind your head. I recommend marking
that location with a stationary object like a chair or a microphone stand. Adjust the width
of the speakers until there's equal distance between each speaker and your listening position.
You'll also want to adjust the angle of the speakers so that they're pointing toward you.
The high frequency tweeters of your speakers are more directional than the woofers,
so it's important to be on-axis with the speakers to get the best possible frequency balance.
Not only do you want to be on-axis with the tweeters side-to-side, but you also want to
be on-axis with them vertically. This can either be done by angling the speakers
up or down with foam wedges or by propping the monitors up to a height even with your ears.
Before connecting your speakers or turning them on, make sure that the monitor knob on your
interface and the volume knobs on each speaker are turned all the way down. This will protect you
from accidentally sending a loud signal through the speakers and potentially damaging them.
There are three common connector types that you might find on your interface or your monitors:
quarter inch, XLR, and RCA. You could theoretically connect your computer's
headphone output directly to the input of your studio monitors using a 3.5 millimeter
to dual quarter inch or dual XLR adapter, but I wouldn't recommend doing that. It's much
better to use an audio interface, which will give you higher-quality outputs and a volume
knob to control the output level. I'm using the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface and a pair
of JBL studio monitors. Luckily the interface has quarter inch outputs and the monitors have
quarter inch inputs. This means I can easily connect them with a quarter inch TRS cable.
Before we get into the best settings for your studio monitors,
make sure to hit the like button. It'll help this video reach more viewers
and it'll help the Audio University channel grow. I really appreciate it.
Your studio monitors are in the right place,
they're connected to a power outlet, and they're connected to your audio interface with the volume
knobs down on the audio interface and the speakers. It's time to turn the speakers on.
Let's start by setting the gain. Adjust the interface volume up to about halfway or two
thirds of the way up then start to adjust the speaker volume until the sound coming out of
them reaches a comfortable level. Doing it this way will ensure you've got room to turn it up
or room to turn it down using the audio interface monitor knob. Your monitors might have settings
for LF or HF trim. These switches will boost or cut the low frequencies or high frequencies.
Choose whichever settings suit your taste, but make sure that these settings are set the same on
each of your studio monitors. You may also find an input sensitivity switch on your monitors.
Watch this video I made to learn more about plus 4 dBu
versus -10 dBV. This has to do with the line level voltage coming from your interface.
You can further optimize your system by adding acoustic treatment to your room
and using a system correction software such as Sonarworks.
Watch the video on your screen to learn more about these options. Thanks for watching.